Catches win matches. This is the most important phrase used in the world of cricket. A catch dropped during the match can turn the things in favour of opponent team and similarly a spectacular catch can help you win the game.
There are several fielding positions in cricket like mid-wicket, slip, third man, long-off and others. And then there are positions where a team captain specifically places a fielder who is active and flexible.
One such position is short-leg. Short leg is a position specifically intended to catch balls that unintentionally strike the bat. This fielding position is very close to the batsman and is considered as the toughest position to field in the cricket.
Watch: Here’s a compilation of best top 10 short-leg catches.
Not only the wicket-keeper, the fielder placed at the short leg too can choose to wear external leg guards, groin protectors, chest protectors beneath their clothing and a helmet protecting their face. This is a specialised position where the one with sharp eye and reflexes is preferred to be placed as they generally only have a micro second to judge the ball’s direction and move accordingly to catch hold if it.
Indian cricket team have several specialised players for this position. Gautam Gambhir, who is currently out of the squad, is trained to be placed at this position. In his absence, players like Cheteshwar Pujara and KL Rahul are placed at this position by the captain Virat Kohli.
— Cricvids (@Cricvids1) August 4, 2017
Earlier, in the ongoing Test match between India and Sri Lanka at Colombo, KL Rahul took a stunner to dismiss Upul Tharanga for a duck.
